Clock movement



March 15, 1932. R. P. JACCAR D CLOCK MOVEMENT Filed Feb. 27, 1930JINVENTOR'. Qccq v0 BY 'VWW/Z A ITORNEW.

Patented Mar. 15, 1932 PATENT fiFFifiE RENE PHILIPPE JACCARD, F GENEVA,SWITZERLAND CLOCK MOVEMENT Application filed February 27, 1930, SerialNo.

This invention relates to a clock movement and more particularly tospring driven clock movements of the kind in which the main spring isadapted to supply energy for a long period of time without necessitatingto be reenergized.

It is an object of the invention to provide a spring actuated clockmovement in which the power of the main spring is not transmitteddirectly to the train of wheels but to an intermediary spring meanswhich is tensioned and actuat-es the escapement of the clock movement,the main spring being prevented from action and held in inoperativeposition as soon as the intermediary spring means is fully tensioned,but is released after the energy of the intermediary spring means hasbeen consumed.

Other objects will appear from the following description of myinvention.

In the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the inventionand a modification thereof,

Figure 1 shows a fragmentary elevation of a clock movement according tothe invention.

Figure 2 is a section along the line IIII of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a modi- V fication.

Figure d is a plan view thereof, partly drawn in section.

In Figures 1 and 2 the spring barrel 1 contains a powerful drivingspring capable of supplying energy for a week, a month or even a year.The toothed ring 2 of the barrel 1 is in mesh with a pinion 3 whichturns with the wheel 4 meshing with the two pinions 5 and 6. The shaft 7of the pinion 6 carries a braking device consisting of a beam 8 keyed tothe shaft 7 and having hinged thereto at 9 and 10 two L-shaped levers 11and 12 of which the ends 11a and 12a are disposed in proximity of a disk15. The pinion 5 turns with a wheel 13 meshing with a pinion 1%connected to the disk 15 which constitutes the stop member.

The disk 15 and the braking device 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are thereforeboth connected to the spring barrel by means of two movementtransmission devices of different gear 431,943, and in SwitzerlandAugust 20, 1929.

ratio, the disk 15 turning with a much greater speed than the brakingdevice. The wheel 16 is arranged to turn freely on the shaft 7 and is inmesh with the wheel 17 which drives the non-represented escapementdevice. Two springs 18 and 19 are disposed obliquely with respect to theshaft 7 and connect the wheel 16 to each one of the levers 11 and 12.Each of these levers has a lug 20 which lugs normally engage in a recess22 formed by projections 21 provided on the hub of the wheel 16.

The manner of action of the described mechanism is the following: henthe spring barrel 1 turns it causes the rotation of the braking deviceand of the stopping disk 15, this disk turning at a greater speed thanthe braking device. This device while turning, stretches the two springs18 and 19 because the wheel 16 which is connected to the escapementdevice can not follow the movement of the braking device and the lugs 20leave the bottom of the recesses 22 to slide on top of the projections21, the levers 11 and 12 turning about their pivots 9 and 10 so that thelever ends 11a and 12a make contact with the disk 15 and since theselevers turn slower than the disk and in opposite direction, the disk isstopped. Since this disk is geared to the spring barrel, this lattercannot turn any further and the main spring will not be deenergizedfurther, while the braking member is also stopped. The meel 16, which isplaced under the action of the springs 18 and 19 which are in thismoment energized, turns regularly and actuates the wheel 17. Therecesses 22 provided on the hub of the wheel 16 turn also and come againinto a position opposite the lugs 20, and the springs 18 and 19, sincetl ey are disposed obliquely with respect to the shaft 7, pull thelevers 11 and 12 to make the lugs enter the recesses. Then the ends ofthe levers 11aand 12a disengage the disk 15 and the main spring againstart to run down.

The advantage of the described mechanism consists in. that the disk 1'turns with a much greater speed than the spring barrel and therefore thebraking device will find very little resistance for stopping the disk.

since the slightest contact of the lever ends 11a and 12a is sufheientto stop the spring barrel. The entire mechanism is very sen 'sitive andworks with very little loss of energy, and practically the two springs18 and 19 are always energized to the same degree of tension. Thesesprings have the double function 0i turning the wheel 16 which isconnected to the escapement and of pulling the lovers 11 and 12 to makethe lugs 20 enter the recesses 22.

In the modification shown in Figures 3 and 4 the wheel 13 is driven bythe spring barrel (not shown) and turns the pinion l-l which is securedto the disk 23 provided with an annular flange. The spring barrel alsodrives a sleeve 241 freely turning on the shaft 34 and to which issecured a beam 25. Two levers 28 and 29 are pivoted at the ends of thebeam at 26 and 2'7. This beam and the levers constitute the brakingdevice as an equivalent to the parts 8, 11 and 12 in Figures 1 and 2.The levers 28 and 29 are conto the shaft 3% upon which is also mounted awheel meshing with the wheel 36 which drives the escapement device. Thelevers 28 and 29 are provided with projections 37 and 38 which arenormally engaged in the recesses 39 and 40 of the hub 33. The operationof this embodiment is the following: The force of the main spring in thespring barrel turns the braking device and the drum 23 at differentspeeds. The braking. device while turning stretches the two springs 30and 31 because the beam 32 connected with the escapement device cannotturn as fast as the braking device. The projections 37 and 38 leave thebottom of the recesses and the levers 28 and 29 turn about their pivots26 and 27 and make contact with the drum 23 which is immobilized andpre-.

vents the spring barrel from turning further. The wheel 35 then turnsunder the combined action of the springs 30 and 31 and of the be engagedwith, or disengaged from, said stop member, transmission means foroperatively connecting said spring barrel to said braking device and tosaidstop member, the transmission ratio of the connection between i thespring barrel and the braking device being difierent from that of theconnection between the spring barrel and the stop member, an escapementactuating'wheel, spring means connecting said friction levers to saidescapement actuating wheel and urging the levers out of engagement withthe stop member, and means operatively associated with said wheel tobring said levers in engagement with said stop member upon rotation ofthe braking device.

2. In a spring drivenclock movement having an escapement, thecombination of a spring barrel, a rotatable stop member, a rotatablebraking devlce coax1ally mounted with said sto i iember and includinfriction leversmounted to pivot in a plane perpendicular with the axisof said braking device and stop member and adapted to engageor di engagesaid; stop member, transmission means for operatively connecting saidspring barrel to said braking device and to said stop member, thetransmissionratio of the connection between the spring barrel and'thebraking device being difierent from that of the connection between thespring barrel and the stop member, an -escapement actuating wheel,spring means forming a yielding connection between said braking deviceand said escapement actuating wheel and urging the friction levers outof engagement with the stop member, and means operatively asso ciatedwith said wheel to bring said levers in I 3. In a spring drivenclockmovement having an escapement, the combination of a spring motor, arotatable disk driven by said spring motor, a rotatable beam also drivenby said spring motor and coaxially mounted with said disk, brakinglevers pivoted on said beam and adapted to cooperate withsaid disk, arotatable escapement actuating member coaXia-lly mounted with said diskand said beam, auxiliary spring means connecting said braking levers tosaid escapement actuatin member, said member being pro vided with camforming recesses,.and proections on sand braking levers cooperatlng withsaid recesses, whereby; relative move-V HENEPH-ILIPPE JACCARD.

